


Totally Platonic Roommates

by DeadlyBingo



Series: Totally Platonic Roommates [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Arrow 4.5, F/M, Fluff, Olicity Hiatus fic, One-Shot Series, UST, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2016-07-05
Packaged: 2018-07-11 11:32:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7047898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeadlyBingo/pseuds/DeadlyBingo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Damien Darhk’s downfall, the loss of their team, and the destruction of their bunker, Felicity invites Oliver to stay in the 2nd bedroom at the loft.  For weeks they live as happily platonic roommates, rediscovering a friendship that they had both feared was lost.  But eventually they will have to question if where they are now is really what’s best for them in the future. <br/>(A series of one-shots based before 'I Could Have Been Happy Without You')</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Not the Worst Idea

**Author's Note:**

> ‘Not the Worst Idea’ Summary: In the immediate aftermath of Darhk’s final attack and downfall, Oliver begins worrying about the future as Felicity worries about the present.
> 
>  What you need to know about this series: This is a series of one-shots, based during the 4-5 hiatus, in a universe where Oliver and Felicity decide to live together at the loft while the bunker is repaired.  The one-shots are not posted in chronological order, and do not rely on one another, but all take place either before or after ‘I Could be Happy Without You.’  Fics that take place after 'I Could be Happy Without You' will be under "Not so Platonic Roommates".

They had _survived_.

They had not only saved Star City, but the _world_.

Oliver was _mayor_.

Felicity was _staying_.

By any man’s logic, Oliver Queen should be jumping for joy.  

But with everything that had happened over the past few days...  Everything and _everyone_ he had lost over the past few weeks? Well something in Oliver didn’t quite feel like a celebratory drink.  And judging by her silence, Felicity was in the same boat.

It felt like they stood in the bunker for hours, side by side but not touching, and staring at the symbols of their past as the future spread out before them, vast and suddenly more unpredictable than even Oliver could have imagined. In reality, only about ten minutes had passed when Felicity finally broke the silence, taking a few slow steps toward the cases as she asked, “So, Mr. Mayor, what’s _next_?”

“You should go home,” Oliver said definitively, shoving his hands in his pockets. “It’s been awhile since any of us have gotten a good night’s sleep, or _any_ night’s sleep for that matter.  You saved the _world_ today, Felicity. You’ve earned a decent rest.”

Felicity nodded slowly, chewing her bottom lip before she turned to face him. “And what’s _your_ plan?”

“Do I look like a man with a plan?” Oliver shrugged, motioning to the room around them.  “Usually I like to take a few hours after a near death experience before deciding next move. Maybe I’ll take a nap?”

“Now _that’s_ a quote for the papers. Figuring it out as you go: _exactly_ the quality we want in the new mayor.” Felicity smiled, genuine pride lighting up her eyes before her smile faded again. “But -what I meant to ask wa- _where_ are you staying now?”

Oliver stopped, he hadn’t actually considered that question yet.  After everyone announced their intentions to leave the team, and his sudden appointment as mayor, his _entire world_ had shifted.  Oliver was immediately so consumed by looking at the long-term, the bigger picture, that he didn’t consider the smaller details that used to dictate his day-to-day survival.  Like where to sleep...

“Well… you can’t keep sleeping here.” Felicity took a few steps across the concrete floor, glass further crumbling below her heels as she closed the distance between them.  “Luckily with my mom running off with Lance, the second bedroom at the loft is free.  You’ll just have to stay there.”

Felicity made the suggestion so quickly, so _casually_ , that Oliver doubted she had considered the weight of her words.  Months ago, it was _her_ that had broken off their engagement.  Not long after that, she had left the team completely, citing that she had been wrong to think they could work together.  Now Felicity wanted to work _and_ live together?

The answer to her question popped into his mind immediately: _No_.  No that couldn’t happen.  If they moved too fast, if he pushed her away from him _all over again_ … this time he may lose her _completely_.  And Oliver couldn’t risk that.  Not after everything else he had lost.  

When Oliver didn’t reply immediately, Felicity continued her musings with a shrug, purposefully ignoring his hesitation. “I mean, as long as you don’t mind the amount of _pink_ she used to redecorate in there?  She apparently didn’t _like_ the grey we had picked out.  Claimed it was ‘far too boring’ for such a nice place and it didn’t match her _aura_.”  

“Well, Donna does know best.” Oliver conceded with his best attempt at a smile. “But this place won’t be _that_ bad once I clean up the glass.  I could just stay here?” Oliver motioned to the middle of the bunker where he could already picture setting up a cot until the usual sleeping quarters were repaired.  “Don’t forget, I lived on Lian Yu for years, so I can deal with a messy bunker. The lack of wolves and landmines is a _major_ improvement over some of my previous places.”

“Oliver, I’m not even going to address your poor standard of living but I _am_ telling you that you _can’t_ stay here.  The security is _completely_ decimated.  And it obviously needed an upgrade before this since Malcolm or some other ‘bad guy’ had been waltzing in here once a week like it was an open house. It’ll take a while to just have _that_ tech up to par, let alone clean everything _else_ up.  Plus, we should gather some intel to make sure the location of the bunker didn’t get out to any of Darhk’s conspirators, though I _am_ hopeful he was selfish enough to keep that information to himself.”  

Oliver sighed, prompting a raised eyebrow from Felicity. He knew how useless it was to fight her once her mind was made up, but they were _just_ getting comfortable _working_ together again.  Oliver still had to consciously remind himself not to reach out to her every time they were close to one another, not to call her Hun whenever he needed her attention, not to kiss the top of her head every time he wanted to pull her away from her computer.  How the hell would he survive sleeping just down the hall?  

“I could get a hotel?” Oliver suggested, trying not to think about the stories the tabloids would run once they got wind of his new residence. “I hear they have free HBO?  Pools?  Even decent wifi?”

“I just lost my job and you’ve _barely_ started yours.  Plus, these repairs will cost plenty on their own, even if we do them all ourselves.  Staying with me is what makes the most sense right now. ”

Oliver worked to quiet the voice in the back of his head that was reminding him that Felicity’s determination, her stubbornness, was one of his favorite qualities about her.  It was one of the attributes that convinced him to bring her onto the team years ago, and he grew to love even more during their relationship.

“Even if it is just for a few weeks…” Oliver sighed, kicking at the shattered glass under his foot before he continued. “I don’t know if this is your _best_ idea, Felicity.”

“Well it isn’t the _worst_ one I’ve had,” Felicity assured him quickly, her voice so confident it almost disguised the waver in her smile.  “Need I remind you of the plan that involved _bombing_ the applied sciences division of Queen Consolidated? Or, _even worse_ , that time I decided to _drug_ you in Nanda Parbat with absolutely zero idea about how I’d get your very unconscious and _very heavy_ body past dozens of _deadly_ assassins and-” Felicity cut herself off suddenly, her eyes darting to the floor as she and Oliver simultaneously realized what night she was referring to.  A night he had tried, _so unsuccessfully,_ not to think about since their break up.

Oliver shifted in place as he waited for Felicity to come to her senses and rescind her invitation to stay at the loft.   _Her_ loft.

But before he could tell her it was okay, that he would be just fine in a hotel, she cut him off.  

“We’ll be _okay_ ,” she assured him, her eyes full of hope when they met his once again.  “We can be just friends, I know we can.  I mean... We _have_ to now, it’s just us on this team. It’ll just be like living with a roommate.  A _totally_ platonic roommate who you also fight crime with every night.” Felicity made her argument with a flourish of her hands before landing them on her hips, as if that movement alone rested her case.

Oliver couldn’t help himself, he _laughed_.  Felicity’s smile, her confidence, _almost_ had him convinced her plan could work.  At least it could temporarily?  And to be fair… that’s _all_ they needed.  Once the bunker was back to working condition, he could move back in.  They just had to make it few weeks...

But the what-if’s kept holding Oliver back from accepting Felicity’s offer.  She had thought she could stay on the team right after their break-up.  She had looked at him then with the same determination to ‘make it work.’ But they had both failed.

What would make this time different?

Felicity must have seen the doubt on his face because she began speaking again, her pace even quicker.  “And, how much will we even be there? I need to work on getting my job back since, now that I have a second to breathe, I’m _super_ pissed that they fired me for wanting to _help_ people! And you’ll be off mayoring and what not.  It’s not like we’ll be lounging around there together all day!  It’s just a place to sleep!”

Felicity had a valid point.  They would be so busy, especially trying to protect the city without the support of their former team, that the loft would literally just provide a bed.  Plus, Darhk probably had some supporters still out there.  It was likely best he stuck close to Felicity until any of those risks were neutralized.

As Oliver once again began to consider Felicity’s plan, he tried to ignore the quickening of his heart. It wasn’t a possibility of reconciliation that had him excited, that dream had been pushed to the back burner after Felicity left the team.  No, it was the prospect of living with his best friend again that gave him hope.  The idea that even in what should be a dark time in his life, their engagement ending, losing Laurel, most of his team leaving, there could _still_ be a silver lining.  He could gain back the best friend, the confidant, he had been so scared he had lost.  Sure, it would be different from before, but different wasn’t always worse.  Sometimes it was just different. And he could live with that.

While she waited for his response this time, Felicity grew quiet.  She drifted back to the case, gently touching Thea’s disguise before stopping in front of Laurel’s.  Oliver watched as Felicity’s hand reached out tentatively before suddenly drawing back and settling at her side with a fist, her knuckles turning white.

Once again, his hand ached to reach out for hers, to feel her soft skin against his, to give her the same reassurance and support that she had so often provided for him in his darkest times.  Despite her attempts at smile, at half-hearted jokes, Oliver knew Felicity was still reeling from Havenrock, an event she hadn’t even had time to process yet.  In addition to that guilt, she too had lost a friend in Laurel.  And when Thea, John, and even her mother left Star City, she had lost so much of the support she should have been leaning on in this difficult time.

And suddenly all of Oliver’s doubts about what he had to do disappeared.  He realized that maybe Felicity wasn’t just making this offer to help him.  That maybe, just maybe, Felicity needed someone too and she wasn’t sure how to ask for it.  And if she needed Oliver to be that someone, even if it was just as her _platonic_ roommate, then that was what he was going to do.

“Just don’t leave the cereal out again,” Oliver agreed with a nod, his smile widening when a victorious grin spread across Felicity’s face.  “And _please_ feel free to kick me out at any time.  I’d rather have to sleep in my office than lose you” Oliver stopped, rethinking his choice of words. “...than lose you _as a friend_.”

“Are you just saying that because you don’t have any friends left in the city?” Felicity teased, relief hiding behind her smirk.

“Yes. Definitely.”

“Understandable.  And don’t worry, I’ll kick you out the second you start messing with the DVR. Survivor is _off limits_.”


	2. A Not So Predictable Consequence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> About a month after moving in together, the tabloids finally begin speculating about an Olicity reunion. Though she knows she should have foreseen these rumors after inviting Oliver to move in, Felicity is surprised by the reactions she has to them. (Part of the 4-5 hiatus series)

> **‘A Not So Predictable Consequence’ Summary:** About a month after moving in together, the tabloids finally begin speculating about an Olicity reunion. Though she knows she should have foreseen these rumors after inviting Oliver to move in, Felicity _is_ surprised by the reactions she has to them.  
>  ****
> 
> **A/N** \- This was inspired by a Twitter conversation _forever_ ago with @so-caffeinated, @cherrychapssstick, @dust2dust34, and honestly I’m sure others? (really, it was _forever_ ago so I’m sorry if I missed you!) 
> 
> **What you need to know about this series:** This is a series of one-shots based during the 4-5 hiatus.   _The one-shots do not rely on one another_ but all take place in the same universe so feel free to check out the other one-shots!  Fics are not posted in order, but a table of contents can be found [here](http://deadlybingo.tumblr.com/TPR).
> 
> **‘Totally Platonic Roommates’ Series Summary:** After Damien Darhk’s downfall, the loss of their team, and the destruction of their bunker, Felicity invites Oliver to stay in the 2nd bedroom at the loft.  For weeks they live as happily platonic roommates, rediscovering a friendship that they had both feared was lost.  But eventually, they have to question if where they are now is really what’s best for them in the future.

* * *

 

Felicity Smoak had always considered herself a fairly, if not _extremely_ , intelligent individual.  But that opinion was easily called into question when she invited Oliver Queen, her former fiancé, to be her roommate and somehow didn’t foresee some very _predictable_ consequences.

“Felicity, you down there?” Oliver’s voice carried through the loft as Felicity stood hunched over her computer, her eyes burning and brain ready to split in two as she once again poured over the spreadsheet glowing before her.  

Sure, work was _supposed_ to pause for a Sunday mornings, but she had just gotten the company back and the very first problem dumped onto her plate was an extremely troubling error in the accounting department.  Now Felicity had to figure out where the missing money was going, if it was purposeful, and ultimately, who to punish.  With the board already iffy about her return, they were clearly testing her and she _couldn’t_ fail. Not if she was still going to use this company to make a difference.

“ _Felicity_!” Oliver called again, this time with more urgency.

“Uh huh?” Felicity murmured a reply, allotting just enough of her attention to listen for high-risk phrases like ‘bomb,’ hit the floor,’ or ‘I’ve been shot.’

“Felicity, why has your mom called me ten -no wait, here the phone goes again- let’s make it _ELEVEN_ times?”  

 _Mom_.  That should probably fall under the ‘high-risk word’ category too.

“Uh…” Felicity glanced to her silenced phone, where a flashing screen informed her of 8 missed calls and 3 voicemails, _all_ from her mother.  “I’m not sure...  Answer it I guess?  Maybe it’s Lance? Or she _really_ needs some baking instructions?”

Oliver picked up the call, barely managing a “hello” before Donna could be heard shrieking into his ear.  

 _Probably_ not a baking emergency after all.  

Felicity groaned, trying to keep her focus on the work at hand rather than whatever emergency her mother had imagined now.

But Felicity’s interest piqued as Oliver sat silent for minutes, not even attempting to get a word in before he finally raised his voice to reply, “ _No_ Donna, it’s not true.  They’re just saying it to sell a story.”

Oliver paused, raking his fingers through his hair as Donna shouted something back, her voice clearly worked up but far too muffled for Felicity to understand as Oliver stood across the kitchen counter.

“No I promise, I wouldn’t lie to you,” Oliver continued after a moment, his voice still unruffled.

Felicity bit back the urge to stop working and plug in a few snarky comments about bullet riddled laptops and running out of sports bottles, but she knew better.  Plus, she should be focusing on her work right now.

“Yes I know sometimes Felicity _forgets_ to mention things, but we wouldn’t mislead you about this.”  

Felicity heard her mother laugh before she replied to Oliver, her voice now quieter, definitely calmer.  Oliver had always had a special way with Donna. Kind of like a horse whisperer… but with a 50 year old woman.

After another moment, Oliver replied, “I know.  I’m sorry, Donna.  But I _promise_ Felicity will call you later.”

Felicity saw a smirk flash across Oliver’s lips as Donna responded this time.  Clearly she was making a joke at Felicity’s expense.

“No I _don’t_ know why she didn’t answer her phone earlier but of course she’s not avoiding you.”

Oliver ‘mmhm’ed his way through Donna’s next reply, before promising, “And yes, I’ll make _sure_ she remembers to call you back later.”

Felicity couldn’t help it this time, she rolled her eyes, immediately receiving the smile from Oliver that she had been aiming for.  It didn’t matter if they were together or not, Oliver had gotten Donna far too accustomed to weekly phone calls from her daughter (and even more frequent texts from him) and Felicity was not going to let him forget that Donna’s new expectations were all _his_ fault.

“Love you too, Donna.  We’ll talk soon. Bye.” Oliver concluded eventually, waiting a moment before ending the call and dropping his phone next to Felicity’s laptop, which she was already using to run a new search.

“Your mom has been keeping up with the tabloids,” Oliver confirmed with a sigh. “According to them, we’re back together _and_ planning to secretly elope over the long weekend.  She was pretty upset we hadn’t told her.”

Felicity groaned dramatically, “About being together or eloping?”

“Both.   _Definitely_ both.  Plus she’s mad that you’re not picking up your phone when there’s _clearly_ an emergency going on.”

“Shit...” Felicity mumbled, scanning through the articles that popped up, all claiming to have _indisputable_ proof of their secret reunion and upcoming nuptials.  One tabloid even displayed a copy of an e-vite to the small ceremony at a winery just outside the city, one Felicity had never heard of.

“Wish someone had told me… I’m supposed to meet with potential investors on Saturday,” she joked, chewing on her bottom lip as she continued to scan different gossip websites.  How had nobody mentioned these articles yet?  Especially when Oliver’s sister was one of their most avid readers.  Did Thea believe this junk too?

“Luckily, I’m _totally_ free,” Oliver replied lightly, throwing in a shrug for good measure.

Felicity’s stomach gave an unexpected lurch.

She and Oliver had fallen back into comfortably teasing each other over the past month. _That_ wasn’t the problem. They had also talked about their former relationship on multiple occasions as well. So she wasn’t reacting to that part of his comment either. But somehow, when Oliver put the two together, it didn’t sit well with Felicity.  Sure, it felt acceptable for _her_ to joke about the fake wedding (this wasn’t the first time she had), but to hear the words slip so _easily_ out of Oliver’s mouth, despite having been so desperate to see him move on over the past few months, was more unsettling than she ever could have expected.

Shouldn’t she be relieved he could finally joke about the past? That Oliver wasn’t hurting so much anymore? But Felicity’s stomach told her that maybe she wasn’t as ready for Oliver to move on as she thought she was. If these stories bothered her now, when neither of them were dating anyone new, how would she react when the tabloids were selling tales about Oliver with someone new? Or, even worse, what about when he brought someone else _home_?

When Felicity didn’t deliver a timely retort, Oliver suddenly questioned, “Why are these popping up now? It’s been weeks since I moved back in.”

Felicity brought her fingers to her temples, trying to force her unnecessary anxiety back down.  If she had learned anything over the past few months, worrying about the future was useless until she dealt with the present.   _This is not the end of the world_ she reminded herself.  She had already been through that and somehow survived. This was just gossip magazines.  The same magazines she and Oliver used to laugh over during dinner.

“Neighbors must have talked since you’ve been around more.  Probably took them so long because we’d spent so much time in the bunker before now...”

“I’m sorry… I know you hate ending up in these things.”” Guilt began to lace Oliver’s tone and it was another punch to Felicity’s gut. She was not having a rational response.  And she wasn’t even sure _why_ she wasn’t having a rational response. And that made her feel even worse.

“Neither do you and it’s not _your_ fault,” Felicity forced a smile, “And truth be told, if _you_ having to take that phone call from my mom is the _worst_ thing that comes from this? I _think_ we’ll be okay.”

Felicity almost laughed.  In her deflection she had made a decent point.  She _had_ come off pretty easily in this situation.  Another plus of having Oliver as her roommate.

Oliver took a step closer, squeezing Felicity’s shoulders reassuringly before taking a few steps back toward the stairs.  “Focus on your work and I’ll have my publicist sort out this tabloid issue,” he assured her. “I’m honestly not sure _why_ they weren’t on it already.”

Felicity nodded, pulling back up her spreadsheet and pretending to refocus even half of her mind on the _real_ problem at hand. There were millions of dollars at stake, not to mention her job.  She _had_ to focus.  

But long after Oliver had walked away, her mind was still circling around the same question: If these stories were so clearly false, and if Felicity knew they would pass quickly, why did they bother her _so_ much?  Was it because they were bringing up a future that she now knew couldn’t happen?  Was it a fear about what other stories the tabloids would concoct when their eloping theories proved false? Or was it not the stories, but Oliver’s reaction, that bothered her? Or, more specifically, his _lack_ of reaction that signaled that their relationship was pushing even further into the unknown?

* * *

 

Of course, the phone call was only the beginning. Felicity should have known better.  She knew the tenacity of her mother, _and_ the Star City tabloids, far better than that.  

Less than a week later, when a frantic knock echoed through the loft, Felicity had no doubt who was on the other side of the door.  

“Heyyyyy, Mom...” Felicity tried to keep her tone light as her mother yanked her into a hug. “What are you-”

“Don’t you _dare_ ask me what am I doing here, young lady!  Oliver tried telling me that there’s nothing going on but then FIVE more articles came out covering your reunion! Some with some _very_ convincing photographic evidence!  And since you _still_ haven’t bothered to call me back, I have no choice but to believe you’re hiding _something_!”

“Mom, I’ve just had a lot going on with work and-”

“Stop giving me excuses! We need to talk, Felicity. I _cannot_ believe _both_ of you lied to me! Well, I can’t believe _Oliver_ lied to me at least! He has always told the truth to me.  You clearly got into that habit with this whole-” Donna scanned the room before whispering, “-working for the _Green Arrow_ _thing_.”

Despite her mother’s tone, Felicity had to bite back a smile.  Her mother was still under the impression that Oliver was completely separate from the Green Arrow part of her life.  Donna, before her move, had even suggested that Felicity’s lie was an element in the break up.  If _only_ it had all been that simple.

“Where is Oliver, anyway?”  Donna asked, scanning the loft with narrowed eyes.  “I’d like to talk to _both_ of you at once.  Avoid giving anyone time to make up a story!”

Felicity’s first impulse was the lie, but since her mother was already upset about another alleged lie, that _probably_ wasn’t the best route.  

Luckily, her mother didn’t wait for a reply before yelling out, “Oliver! Oliver Queen get down here _right_ now!”

Felicity glanced down to the bedazzled bag her mother had dropped by the door.  Donna was planning to stay?  Of _course_ she was inviting herself to stay.  What better to follow a surprise interrogation with than a sleepover?

“Hey, Donna!” Oliver greeted, rushing down the stairs with a speed that directly contradicted his relaxed tone.

“Oliver, I need some _explanations_ and goodness knows my daughter won’t give them to me!” Donna huffed, reaching into her purse to pull out a handful of tabloids carefully marked with brightly colored post-its.

“Mom, how do you have those?  Do you get Star City tabloids _delivered_ to you?!”

“This is not the time to talk about _that_ ,” Donna replied with an eye roll.

“Mom, Oliver and I both have plans later today.” Felicity paused before hastily clarifying, “and it’s _not_ to get married.”

“Well then we should have _plenty_ of time to talk about all of this evidence from these newspapers I’m supposed to just _ignore_.  Instead you want me to just sit back and believe that you two are just ‘casually’ living together for some reason that was never made clear to me!”

Felicity was desperate to clarify that tabloids did _not_ count as newspapers, but she resisted the urge.  She owed her mom, she knew that.  Quite a bit of Donna’s reaction had to be residual anger from Felicity’s secret about working for the Green Arrow, a topic the pair had yet to fully cover since Donna moved away. So she deserved at least one confrontation.

“Donna.” Ever the politician, Oliver put on his most charming smile as he leaned in for a kiss on Donna’s cheek.  “Let’s sit down.  Of _course_ we always have time for you.”

Felicity rolled her eyes as Oliver led her mother to the couch.  Maybe _he_ should have gotten her mother in the break up.  

“Now, why don’t you let us know why you’re so upset?” Oliver continued.  “I _promise_ we did not lie to you-- about this relationship.”

As she sat down on the couch beside her mother, and Oliver took a seat across from them, Felicity prayed that her Donna didn’t catch the hitch in Oliver’s statement.  It always got harder for him to lie to someone when he cared about them, and whether she would become his mother-in-law or not, Oliver undoubtedly loved Donna like his own family.  It was a bond Felicity never wanted to take away from either of them.  No matter what happened between her and Oliver.

Luckily Donna kept moving forward, holding up the first of the articles as if presenting her carefully collected evidence to a jury.

“You know you can’t believe what those people write, Mom.” Felicity explained carefully, “They just make it up.”

“But they don’t make up these pictures!” Donne argued, pointing to a picture of Felicity on the center page of a Star City tabloid.  The picture showed Felicity with a blissful smile across her face, leaning toward something just out of frame, and the words ‘Olicity reunited? Felicity Smoak’s eyes tell the true story!’ stamped across the top of the page.

“What about _this_ , sweetheart?” Donna tapped the picture impatiently. “I know you well enough to know _that_ look anywhere!”

Felicity let out a relieved chuckle, turning to smirk at a confused Oliver before explaining, “Mom, Oliver wasn’t even _there_.  I was in a bakery, see?” Felicity pointed to a blurred sign in the background of the photo. “I’m pretty sure I was looking at a red velvet cupcake.  So yes, it _was_ love.  Just not the kind they’re claiming it was.”

Donna looked to the picture once more before recognition spread across her face.  “Okay…” she muttered, tossing the magazine aside, “But what about _this_?” she asked, pulling up another picture of Felicity with a hand on Oliver’s cheek and ‘Can our new mayor have it all?’ printed across the center of the page.

Felicity squinted at the picture for a moment before the memory came back to her.

“He cut himself shaving and was about to walk up on stage with blood on his cheek,” Felicity explained slowly, trying her best not to acknowledge that this photo did have _slightly_ more merit than the last one. She probably hadn’t needed to get the blood off herself... but that wasn’t something to question now.  It was just old habits surfacing in a hectic moment.

Luckily her explanation placated Donna, who put the tabloid on the coffee table without a second thought.

As her mother mumbled and searched for her next piece of evidence, Felicity did her best to squash the butterflies forming in her stomach.   _Nothing_ was going on between her and Oliver.  Why was she nervous? How could the tabloids point out something that wasn’t there?  Things were going well between her and Oliver, she couldn’t let these rags get into her head now.

Donna glanced at another ‘article’, obviously printed from an online gossip website that mentioning something about twins on the way, and tossed it to the side before even showing it to Felicity.  

Another weight lifted from Felicity’s shoulders.  Maybe this was already over?

But the next picture seemed to make the room stop.  At least… it made _Felicity_ stop.  She tuned out the rest of the room when she saw it.

The article appeared standard enough at first glance.  ‘Has Olicity moved on?’ was printed at the top of a page and directly below it was a picture of Felicity and Oliver talking before he took the stage at a press conference with ‘ _Not a Chance_ ’ printed in red across their feet.

In the photograph, Felicity was standing close to Oliver, grasping his hands in hers as he leaned in to speak to her, his face serious.  But, it wasn’t their proximity in the picture that grabbed Felicity’s attention, it was _her_ face.  In the picture, her eyes were _shining_ , full of a confidence and an undeniable hope she had feared lost after months of pain and heartache. Her cheeks were pulling her lips into a smile so natural it looked like she wore it every second of every day.  It was far from the forced smile that she had learned to put on for the cameras as Palmer Tech’s CEO.

The look on her face was so familiar, but it took Felicity a moment to place the memory. It was the very smile she saw reflected in the mirror every time Oliver sat on the bed to talk to her as she got ready for bed every night during their relationship.  It was the look she would get whenever she realized, without any doubt, that she was _exactly_ where she was meant to be.

Felicity couldn’t reasonably deny that, in this photograph at least, she looked completely and hopelessly in love. But before she could think up a lie, an excuse, a joke, or _something_ to get her out of this corner, Oliver came to her rescue.

“I was about to announce a new charity Palmer Tech is starting for reconstruction in the city, Donna,” Oliver explained, though Felicity couldn’t recall the exact speech immediately. “She looks so happy because her hard work paid off.  She’s _proud_.  Not in love.” Oliver said confidently before adding with a wink, “And maybe admires the wonderful public speaking skills of her roommate, at least a little bit.”

Felicity wanted to thank Oliver for saving her once again, to grab his hand and give it a quick squeeze to show her gratitude...  But she knew that showing her relief, admitting that he _had_ saved her, would be admitting that there was a _reason_ for her to have been nervous.  That Donna had been _right_. That the picture had implied anything beyond one friend being happy about the accomplishments of another.

“Yeah,” Felicity agreed all too quickly.  “That was a good day.  But again, _not_ because some secret romance.  They just use us to sell magazines, Mom.  Apparently _all_ to you.”

As Donna began apologizing to Oliver for jumping to conclusions (of course she didn’t think to apologize to her own daughter), Felicity tried to reassure herself that look on her face _was_ just pride and admiration, as Oliver had said.  She _had_ been proud, that was true. Maybe she would have looked the same way if _anyone_ had been heading up to that stage to make the announcement.  Plus add some good lighting, fresh makeup, a _sneaky_ photographer? _Anyone_ could have looked in head over heels.

The nerves in Felicity’s stomach began to settle.  Oliver was definitely right, her smile was just a look of pride.  She loved Oliver, but she was no longer _in_ love with him.  She was worrying for no reason.  She had let these so called journalists get to her head.  She was probably just overwhelmed from going back to work in addition to increased duties on Team Arrow.

“Donna, I’m guessing you drove here without stopping for a break?” Oliver schmoozed before Donna could break out any new evidence.  “I had picked up some steak to make for tonight.  How about I cook those up for lunch and we can all have a nice meal together?  You can see for yourself that everything is completely normal, and totally platonic, in this loft.”

“I’d be more than happy to!” Donna agreed, looking to Felicity with an all too eager smile that made Felicity want to offer to help in the kitchen.

But Oliver had apparently saved her enough and he quickly left the women behind, bringing Donna’s overnight bag up to the top of the stairs before heading into the kitchen and turning on some music as he cooked.

The moment Donna was convinced he was absorbed in his own tasks, she grabbed her daughter’s hand, holding it tight.

“Look me in the eye, Felicity.  Swear there is _nothing_ going on. Because I looked at all those articles and was so sure you two were hiding something.  But now I come here and you both seem so comfortable and natural as friends… I guess what I’m saying it that I can’t let myself get my hopes up-”

“Mom! Nothing is going on with us.  Not like you’re thinking at least.  I promise.  And you shouldn’t be getting hopes up about my relationships _anyway_.”

“Then… then I have to ask _why_ you two are living together?  Can’t you both afford some place else at this point?   _You_ had seemed so eager to move a few months ago, sweetheart.  I remember a call saying that the place was _cursed_?”

It was true.  Both she and Oliver had plenty of options for other places to live.  By now the lair’s security was updated.  Oliver could have moved back into it earlier this week.  But neither of them had even mentioned the possibility that day.  Instead, they had cracked a bottle of champagne to celebrate the progress and then headed back to the loft, together.  

Or either one of them could have afforded somewhere else.  Places where they could live separately.  Homes devoid of the heart-wrenching memories this loft would always contain: Thea’s injury, their break-up, Darhk’s attack on Donna... But despite all of that, Felicity was too attached to this loft to leave now.  It was her _home_.  Good and bad, this place already had more of her heart than anywhere else she had ever lived.  Just like her relationship with Oliver, she could never wipe away the bad memories if it meant sacrificing the good.

Felicity sighed, lowering her voice, “After… after everything that happened, Mom- and please know I’m not blaming you for leaving because I’m so happy you and Quentin are happy- well... it’s just nice to have someone around who _understands_. Oliver knows what I’ve been through these past few-”

Recognition flashed across Donna’s face.  “Oliver _knows_?!  Like _knows_ knows?”

“Of course he _knows_ , Mom.” Felicity rolled her eyes. “I didn’t lie to him _all_ that time.  I know he’s pretty but he’s smarter than he looks.”

Donna narrowed her eyes for a moment, clearly filing that battle away for later.  “Felicity, I just think-”

“ _Please, mom_.”

“You were just so happy when-”

Felicity cut her mother off, scooting closer together on the couch as she squeezed her mother’s hand more tightly.  “I’m happy now too, Mom.  I _promise_.  All those pictures proved that at the very least.  We’re _both_ happy with this and I don’t want to lose that.  I can’t lose that.  Not after everything else. _Please_ stop pushing the matter.”

Donna nodded, watching Felicity for a moment before letting out a sigh.  “I should call Quentin and let him know I got here.  Goodness knows that man will be here in a _flash_ if I don’t check in soon.”

“Put your stuff in my bedroom and give him my best when you talk to him.  Then we’ll all have something to eat and you can yell at me some more for not picking up my phone.” Felicity smiled, releasing her mother’s hand before adding, “I love you Mom, and I _am_ glad you’re here.”

Felicity turned to face Oliver as her mother headed toward the stairs, wanting to grab his attention and signal that everything was okay.  Maybe even thank him for not being upset about their unexpected guest.  But before Felicity could open her mouth, she realized Oliver’s attention was already on her.  And the look on his face was the very same one Felicity had worn in the tabloid picture. But it could in _no_ way be confused with admiration.  It was _love_.  And they were definitely in trouble.


	3. Very Platonic Timeouts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After weeks of living happily (and very platonically) together, something shifts very suddenly between Felicity and Oliver.  And suddenly it’s much more difficult to keep their promise to keep everything ‘platonic.’

The deal, like so much else in their past, began with that damn salmon ladder.

By the time Felicity arrived that evening, Oliver had already started his workout. So she simply filled him in on her disastrous board meeting as he silently counted out push-ups and then listened as he held a plank and described his own hellish day at the office. But once their recaps were complete and pep talks were given, Oliver moved to the salmon ladder, shedding his shirt and positioning his calloused hands on the ladder’s bar as Felicity settled in at her station, her face unexpectedly flush. Oliver continued to speak to her for a few more minutes, casually joking about how much harder it was to get proper exercise with ‘real job,’ but soon enough his voice trailed off as he went into his own zone and Felicity tried desperately to get back into hers.

But that salmon ladder, those sounds, had always been her weakness. And apparently Felicity’s subconscious had not forgotten that.

Oliver’s pace started off quickly at first, unbridled energy exploding out of his every movement, but Oliver eventually slowed his speed to create to a hypnotic rhythm of clangs and grunts echoing off the concrete walls of the basement. Felicity would swear she could smell his sweat, even from her spot 20 feet away, and whenever she peeked behind her she could see the lights of the room reflecting off his dampened chest. 

But she tried not to look. 

She tried not to smell.

Damn it she tried, so hard, not to listen. 

Because certain feelings, ones Felicity had assumed were long gone, had come flooding back the second Oliver was on that ladder. And now everything Oliver did made her sit a little more rigidly in her seat.

It wasn’t long before Felicity completely gave up on getting any real work done. So, instead, she stared at her screen (even if she couldn’t focus on it) and silently praised herself for every time she ignored another one of Oliver’s too familiar sounds.

“Felicity? Did you hear me?”

Felicity jumped as Oliver was suddenly behind her, grabbing a towel from the railing and wiping his face with it.

Now she could definitely smell his sweat. 

When she looked up, working so hard to focus on his eyes, he repeated his question. “I asked if you had any new leads on where Douglas Tutor is hiding out now? Maybe something panned out from the traffic cameras?” A smirk appeared on Oliver’s lips. “Or he posted a Facebook status announcing the restaurant he’s eating at?” 

Oliver chuckled at his own joke as the back of Felicity’s brain screamed for her to just give any answer, even a simple one, to get him to take a step away. All she had to do was say a single syllable: No. It was just two letters. But the word wouldn’t come out. Instead she rose from her desk, nails digging into the palms of her hands, and hurriedly mumbled, “I need… I think I need a timeout.”

Oliver knit his brow together and glanced at the computer screen before refocusing on Felicity. “Excuse me?”

“Timeout,” she repeated again, trying to sounds firm as she grabbed her phone from the desk and shuffled toward the elevator. “I’ll be back in, um... a bit. Or later. Or I’ll see you at home. Yeah, there... The loft. Back at the loft. Where we both live.”

An amused grin spread across Oliver’s face as he seemingly put together the pieces, but before he could say a word, or Felicity could embarrass herself further, she was slipping inside the elevator doors. 

Felicity barely waited for the doors to close before burying her face in her hands and letting a frustrated groan escape her lips.

She was in trouble.

He was going to confront her. 

Okay, confront was definitely not the right word. He was going to talk to her. He had to talk to her. When it clicked why Felicity practically ran out of the bunker, Oliver had been amused, pleased with himself even, and he couldn’t wait to get home and tease her about it. He even allowed himself to have a just sliver of hope that this might be a sign of their old relationship reblooming. If he was able to get her so flustered again, well maybe other changes weren’t far behind?

But shortly after hope made an appearance, so did fear. What if this didn’t change everything for the better? He and Felicity were already good, was he really stupid enough to hope for more? Icarus flying too close to the sun was a popular myth for a reason. This change could make everything worse. All that they had built over the past few weeks, years even, would go up in flames, just as his life had so often before.

It was all his fault, of course. Oliver had noticed her glancing at him on the salmon ladder. And he knew that look in her eyes; he had reveled in it enough times before. Yet he still chose to push himself on the ladder long after he was ready to drop. He kept telling himself ‘just a little bit longer’ in hopes of catching her staring just one more time. But now his seemingly innocent plan had backfired. All because he wanted to feed his ego.

Oliver didn’t know what the next steps were, what they should be. Was Felicity mad? Embarrassed? Would she ask him to move out? She probably had to... or at the very least she should. They couldn’t live together anymore if they couldn’t keep it platonic. She had made that very clear… he had agreed. And what happened down in that bunker an hour ago- that was not platonic. Not in the least. 

The shower was running upstairs when Oliver returned to the loft and he found himself pacing laps between the living room and kitchen as he waited. He could try ignoring that anything had happened... But somehow that didn’t seem like the best option. Other than their day jobs, he and Felicity now spent a majority of their time around each other, whether in the loft or the bunker, without any other company to distract them. Ignoring the problem would quickly turn into bending the truth. Bending the truth would morph into lies. And wasn’t it lying, at least in part, that led them to this? 

When the shower stopped, Oliver didn’t think before taking the stairs two at a time. The sooner they talked the better, Oliver was sure of it. If too much time passed, it would just become more difficult to bring up. They had to get this conversation over with so he could deal with whatever consequences Felicity presented, even if that meant moving out immediately. As long as he still had his teammate, his best friend, he could deal with anything.

But, against all common sense, Olivier didn’t expect what happened next.

He had barely knocked before Felicity called for him to come in, but judging by her flushed face as he swung the door open, Oliver was confident she hadn’t thought her invitation through. Not that he could focus much on her face when her damp body was still wrapped in a white towel. A towel Oliver could vividly recall dropping to the floor on multiple occasions.

Oliver couldn’t help it, his eyes flicked down to take Felicity in. It was automatic, an action that was over before his brain could even think to stop it. And though the movement took less than a second, his mind seemed to crawl to a stop, savoring the image with the knowledge that he may never get to see Felicity like this again. Not with the conversation they were about to have. 

“Oh, sorry…” Felicity’s words snapped Oliver’s attention back to the task at hand. One that just got a hell of a lot more difficult. “I really need to starting thinking before I yell for people to just come in, right? I swear someone would knock at the bunker door and I’d probably say ‘come in’ out of habit if I wasn’t paying attention.”

Felicity quickly grabbed a set of pajamas from the foot of her bed before slipping back into the bathroom, closing the door behind her as Oliver struggled to listen to her voice rather than imagining what else was going on behind that door. 

The tables had turned so quickly.

“Really.. Sometimes I think I don’t actually think at all.” Felicity spoke through the door, her overly casual tone almost enough to convince Oliver that nothing had happened earlier. “I mean, not that I’m that exposed. A lot of my dresses are the same amount of material. And it’s not like you haven’t seen more, we can’t ignore that, or should we should ignore that? I don’t entirely know… They don’t exactly write ‘how to books’ on what to do when you want to remain friends and live with an ex-fiance who you also work on a secret vigilante team with every night. But I am guessing walking around in a towel is not one of those lines normal roommates cross?”

Oliver’s lips tugged into a smile as Felicity continued to ramble in the bathroom. It was difficult not to think about how many of their evenings together concluded just like this a few months ago. But the smile faded as Oliver remembered how most of those conversations ended, with him opening the door under the guise that he could better ‘hear her’ while she was getting ready for bed. Something he’d never get to do again.

Focus. Focus. Focus. Keep focused. Oliver was silently chanting to himself when Felicity reemerged from the bathroom, tossing the wet towel precariously on the bed before pulling her hair into a messy bun. At any other time, Oliver would have been tempted to remind her to hang that towel up before it got the bedding damp. But now, instead, he knew he would be lucky to string two words together. 

Oliver stifled a groan as he glanced to Felicity once more. This outfit might actually be worse than the towel... 

As she continued to talk, Oliver refused to let his eyes linger on her body. At least… he refused to let her notice them lingering. If asked, he would deny staring at the smooth curve of her neck or worshipping how the V of her collarbones framed her chest in a red tank top that clung so perfectly to her curves after a shower. And he definitely wouldn’t admit to allowing his eyes to linger on the 2 inches of skin that remained uncovered before the top of her loose, pink pajama pants hanging low on Felicity’s hips...

But nothing about Felicity invaded his senses in the same way as her smell. Slight hints of jasmine and lavender hung in the air between them and Oliver knew, beyond any doubt, that Felicity still used the same body wash that she had discovered in Bali. She had loved it so much that he had ordered bottles of the stuff sent back to their place in Ivy Town, and those bottles had eventually made their way to the loft. Every night Oliver would bury his face into the crook of her neck as they drifted off to sleep and Felicity would promise him that the scents ensured they would both have good dreams. But he always knew he didn’t need the smell... Not when she was next to him.

Focus. Oliver reminded himself again. He had come here for a reason. Eyes. He had to focus on her eyes.

But that didn’t help either. Because, just for a second, he could swear he saw the same longing in her eyes as he knew was reflected in his own. But it disappeared once she started talking again, her pace suddenly slowing down.

“And, um, I’m sorry about earlier.” Felicity continued, her tone shifting as her eyes darted to the floor, focusing on her bare toes that were curling and uncurling against the carpet. “Long day at work, you know? Then staring more at the computer in the bunker... I just needed a uhh…”

“A timeout?” Oliver finished for her.

“Yeah… timeout.” Felicity bit her lip as her eyes rose to meet Oliver’s once again. “I just really needed to… shower.”

“Felicity, we should talk.” The words were out of Oliver’s mouth before he could talk himself out of saying anything. 

Though Felicity’s face paled at first, she soon gave a resigned head nod, taking a single step toward to him. “Yeah… I guess so.”

“I completely understand if my staying here is too much. I can always move back to-”

“No.” Felicity was quick to cut Oliver off, taking another step closer to him. “I mean, only if you wanted to. But I don’t need you to. I mean, not that I need anything, I just...”

Oliver fought the urge to take a step back and increase the distance between as Felicity began to list reasons she loved living together. From so close Felicity’s scent overwhelmed him and he couldn’t stop staring at the single droplet of water balancing on her eyelash. How did she not feel that? All he wanted to do was reach out and tenderly brush it away. He could allow his hand to linger on her face, her cheek, just for a moment. It would almost be natural... To feel her soft cheek against his hand once again and-

No. He had to stop. He had to focus.

“I mean I like having a roommate.” Felicity continued and Oliver prayed she hadn’t noticed his staring. “And I’m eating better than ever to be honest. And overall I think this has been going really well in general… Especially with the rough few months we had and our friends all leaving the city…”

“Yeah, uh, yes it has.” Oliver silently chided himself for his inability to focus. He had come into this room so sure of his goal, so determined. But now that image of Felicity in her towel, her fragrant skin, those pajamas, all combined with the knowledge that she had probably come home to take a cold shower because of him, well he wasn’t sure he could do it anymore.

Felicity took yet another step toward him, his core clenching as her foot landed. It was impossible not to notice how smooth her skin looked after a shower when she was so close... Was she trying to kill him?

“Honestly, Oliver, I was kind of expecting some bragging on your part. Or at least some jokes? Are you okay?”

“No.” Oliver cleared his throat. “No, I mean yes. Yes, I’m fine. We’re fine. I just um…”

The hint of a smile appeared on Felicity’s lips. He knew she wanted to make a comment about his inability to form a sentence, but before she got the chance he spit out, “I need a timeout now. I’m going to get some sleep and we’ll talk… tomorrow.” Oliver turned to the door. “Maybe I’ll shower. Yeah, I should definitely shower. Long night at work and all that…”

Oliver didn’t wait for a reply before turning away and heading toward his room. It was definitely his turn for a cold shower. And probably a long one at that.

Felicity found herself curled up on the living room couch before dawn the next morning, marking the only time in her and Oliver’s entire relationship that she had beaten him out of bed. Not that they were still in that type of a relationship- she sometimes had to remind herself, and her body, of that fact- and that was the whole reason she was currently sitting hunched over her tablet, color coding different realistic and not so realistic responses to her and Oliver’s newest situation.

Felicity had pages of options listed on her tablet, the pros and cons of each possibility color coded in red and green. Of course she had thought about asking him to leave, or even leaving herself, but she knew separating wasn’t a valid option. Not with the guilt and stress they were both carrying around from the last few months’ events. Not with how much they still needed each other for support. Felicity had also considered making a list of roommate rules to post on the fridge, including what not do, wear, or not wear around each other, but she knew that would just result in an ever growing list. And, of course, magic was a possibility, but she knew better than to play with those risks. 

Fortunately, after hours of worrying and racking her brain, Felicity had come up with a deceptively simple, but hopefully effective, plan.

She prayed Oliver would be open to her suggestion. He had, after all, come to her the previous night to talk about how she had embarrassingly raced out of the bunker because she couldn’t get herself under control. But it did make her feel better that her just walking around in pajamas and no makeup seemed to have the same effect on him. She could hear the water running as he stayed in his shower for nearly 15 minutes after he bolted out of her room and she had to assume that he was taking the same cold shower she had forced herself through. And, even after that, he was up constantly, pacing the hallways into the wee hours of the morning and even stopping outside of her door once or twice before moving back to his own room.

Though she wasn’t feeling nearly as overwhelmed as she had the previous evening, Felicity wasn't foolish enough to think that what had happened yesterday wouldn't happen again. She knew her feelings had just buried themselves once more, waiting to pop back out at the most inopportune time, and she didn’t want to give them that chance.

Once Oliver emerged from his room, clothed in sweats and stubble lining his chin, Felicity spoke before he reached the bottom of the stairs, “I think I have a plan.”

“You’re up early,” Oliver yawned, checking his watch as he paused by the kitchen. “You want coffee?”

Felicity shook her head no. For once, coffee would not help her.

“Really? This plan must be important then,” Oliver replied, trying to sound light-hearted despite the bags under his eyes.

“I think it is…” 

When she didn’t deflect with her usual humor, Oliver’s face grew more serious and he started toward the living room.

“I was thinking, we need a deal, to help us keep living together and everything.” Felicity sat up on the couch, putting her tablet to the side as Oliver joined her, leaving the seat between them noticeably empty.

Felicity folded her hands before her, trying to slow her speech down as she prepared to present the idea she had spent hours thinking over. “I think we should get get to tag out… or call a timeout when things get to be…” Felicity paused. She had not thought about how to phrase this.

“Too much?” Oliver finished for her, raising his eyebrows.

“Yes. Too much. Whenever it happens we get to leave the situation without ramifications or awkward conversations.” Felicity drew a deep breath. “We were a couple, we can’t erase that, nor should we try to. And that means certain… urges, habits if you will, might remain for a while. I think we just need to acknowledge that they’re normal and they don’t mean anything beyond… the physical.”

Oliver pursed his lips for a second before mumbling, “Still getting turned on around each other is just a habit. Our bodies just haven’t… gotten the message yet.”

“In a way. And I was thinking that when we need a break, we can just… move on when things get to be too much. Give our bodies some time to readjust to how things are now…”

“You want to train our bodies to have timeouts? Like a toddler?”

“Yeah…” Felicity bit her lip. “I mean, it kind of feels like that right? We know it’s a bad idea but our bodies are basically having tantrums and refusing to accept that certain things have changed. So why shouldn’t a timeout, a few minutes to cool down, work? I know it sounds kind of silly but us thinking this won’t come up again, that we can just ignore this, would…”

“It would never work.” Oliver replied, slowly rubbing his hands together and he looked down to his lap.

Felicity’s heart sank. “It won’t?”

“No, I mean ignoring that something has obviously shifted between us lately wouldn’t work... I actually think you’re right. Maybe timeouts could be what we need? God knows they would have been useful once or twice before this…”

Felicity’s relief was quickly replaced with excitement as she had to bite back a smile. This was not the time to be competitive, but she couldn’t help but think that if this were a competition, she would be in the lead.

“Really?” Felicity hoped she didn’t sound too eager when the word escaped her lips, but she couldn’t pass up the chance for more information. “Like when? You mean that thing last night?”

Oliver smirked in response to Felicity’s excitement. “Isn’t the point of timeouts that we don’t have to talk about them?”

“The deal isn’t retroactive, Queen. It’s only being put into place today.” Felicity watched Oliver’s face carefully, praying for a positive reaction to her teasing.

Relief flooded her chest once again when he chuckled.

“When you wore that black dress to the cocktail party after my inauguration? The one with the cutouts in the back? The was not fair, Smoak. But it was much easier to ignore then since Thea was with us. Nothing gets a guy’s brain back on track faster than his little sister punching him in the arm and saying to look alive.”

Felicity let out a huff of a laugh. “I guess it was easier with everyone else around. Us being alone together now? It reminds you a bit of last summer, right? Maybe that’s why our bodies seem to be rebelling all of a sudden. Familiar situations bring rise to old habits.”

“Yeah…” he agreed, though he didn’t look completely convinced. “Crazy to think about how much has changed this year alone… it almost feels like we’re whole new people? I never would have foreseen this in the middle of last summer. You know we moved to Ivy Town around this time last year?”

“Ivy Town was nice, Oliver, but it wasn’t real.” Felicity’s eyes flickered to a framed picture of them in their old house displayed on an end table. She had long accepted that leaving Ivy Town was the right call, even with the consequences to her and Oliver’s relationship. And she knew, on some level, Oliver knew it too. “This, here, this is real. Real is messy. But that doesn’t mean we’re different people... Things have just changed… we grew.”

Oliver nodded quietly, his smile flickering from his face for a moment before reappearing suddenly. “We’re going to make it through this, just as we have everything else.” Oliver reach over, squeezing Felicity’s arm. “If anything is constant in our lives, it’s that.” 

He was right. No matter what happened, they always seemed to make it through. Even when all of the odds were against them.

Oliver stood up, raking his hand through his hair with a yawn.

“I’d make it through all of this better with some coffee?” Felicity prompted, pulling her knees up to her chest.

“Of course. Why else am I here?”

Felicity waited for Oliver begin grinding coffee beans before she let out a sigh of relief. He was going to stay, at least for now. They had a chance to work this out. To stay friends despite her body’s obnoxious need to keep insisting on options that were no longer available. And that chance was as much as she dared to hope for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! And for more of my Olicity writing, check out my Tumblr, Deadlybingo!


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